Photographer&#39;s easel.



A. & L. VANDENBURG.

FHOTOGRAPHERS EASEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 19I5 1,148,554. Patented Aug. 3,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- 3 Z? 19" 7 J6 if law fiziaiziafi Witnesses I .m flflz wa fiy lnventom A v by .ZraMbM Att y A. & L. VANDENBURG.

PHOTOGRAPHERS EASEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. I915.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WitnesS? JZ by W Attorneys,

ANDREW VANDENBURG AND LEON VANDENIBURG, 0F COLDWATER, MICHIGAN.

PHOTOGRAPHERS EASEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Application filed March 23, 1915. Serial No. 16,442.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW VANDEN- BURG and LEON VANDENBURG, citizens of the United States, residing at Goldwater, in the county of Branch, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Photographers Easel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an easel for use in forming enlargements of photographs, one of the objects of the invention being to provide an easel utilizing a series of nested members for holding papers of different sizes, so that they will be perfectly smooth and will not shift accidentally out of position.

A further object is to provide paper holding means which can be placed in either of two positions so that the longest dimension of the held paper can extend either upwardly and downwardly or horizontally, as preferred.

Another object is to provide simple means for holding a test paper in position, said means being so constructed and located as not to interfere with the print paper whenv placed in the holder.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the easel, all parts of the holder being folded together. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the holder opened. Fig.3 is a central vertical transverse section through the holder with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line AB Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the leaves of theh older. Fig. 6 is a perspective view-of another leaf.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a portion of the base of the easel, the same being provided with parallel guide rods 2 supporting a cross head 3 on which is fixedly mounted an upstanding backing 1. An adjusting screw 5 engages the cross head 3 and is mounted Within a suitable support 6. One end of the screw has a gear 7 meshing with a gear 8 secured to a transverse shaft 9, there being a crank 10 or other suitable means for rotating this shaft, whereby the cross head 3 can be adjusted along the guide rod 2 thus to move it toward or away from the lamp house (not shown) of the enlarging outfit.

Hingedly connected to the cross head 3 is a holding frame 11 having marginal flanges 12 adapted to bear against the front face of the backing 1 at the edges thereof and to be held in such position by a catch 13 engaging a stud or projection 14 as shown. The frame 11 is preferably square and removably mounted in the frame is a series of clamping leaves 15 and a rear leaf 16. The leaves 15 are of different sizes and each of them is provided with an opening 17 preferably oblong, the opening in the first leaf being larger than that in the second leaf and this arrangement being followed through the set of leaves 15, the rear or backing leaf 16 being imperforate. Each of the leaves 15 is provided, along two sides, with longitudinal flanges 18 preferably formed by bending the side portions of the leaves at right angles as shown-particularly in Figs. 5 and 6. All of the leaves 15 with the exception of the front one, are also provided with inwardly extending flanges 19 along one end thereof, there being fingers 20 extending from said end of each leaf and also from the remaining leaves 15 and 16, these fingers having eyes 21 engaging a pivot pin 22 the ends of which are secured within blocks 23. The distance between the blocks 23 is such that said blocks will occupy opposed corners in the frame 11, thus to support the pivot pin or rod 22 either along one side of the frame or along the bottom thereof. In the drawings the rod 22 has been shown along one side portion of the frame 11. As the leaves 15 and 16 are preferably formed of sheet metal, it will be apparent that when they nest together, they will fill the space surrounded by the flanges 12 of the frame 11 and will thus be clamped securely between said frame and the backing 4. Said backing has bow springs 2i secured to it and designed 'to press against the leaf 16 when the ing leaf so that the holding leaves 15 and 16 are nested together within the frame 11 and said frame secured in closed position as in Fig. 1. Each of the leaves 15 is provided on its back face at that'end remote from the pin 22, with a button 25 designed to lap the next adjoinsaid leaves will thus be held together against relative movement, as shown in Fig. 1.

Formed in the front face of the backing leaf 16 are grooves 25 adapted to be exposed within the opening in the rear leaf 15 and at one end of each of these grooves is a small recess 26, while at the other end of each groove is a large recess 27. Spring fingers 28 are normally seated in the grooves 25, one end of each finger being seated in the adjacent recess 26, while the other end of each finger projects into the adjacent recess 27. holding pieces of test paper upon the leaf 16 and upon the opening 17 in the rear leaf 15. By inserting the fingers into the large recesses 27, the fingers 28 can be pulled outwardly so as to release the paper held thereby. When the fingers 28 are not in use, they rest within the grooves 25 so as not to buckle or otherwise affect paper spread over the front face of the leaf 16. When it is desired to hold a sheet of print paper of the largest size, the several leaves 15 and 16 are swung together and held by the buttons 25, after which said sheet of print paper is placed within the frame 11 and the largest leaf 15 is then swung against the paper so as to bind it upon the frame 11. The parts are then swung upwardly and secured to the backing 4: whereupon the print paper will conceal all of the leaves 15 and 16 and will be exposed in the large opening in the frame 11. The next largest size of print paper can be properly held by fastening the front leaf 15 within the holding frame 11 and placing said sheet of paper between the front leaf 15 and the next adjoining leaf 15, after which the parts can be secured together as before, whereupon the print paper will be exposed within the front leaf 15 but will conceal the other leaves. Other sizes of papers can be held smoothly and securely by placing them between leaves of the different sizes. Where it is desired to print the paper with its long dimension vertical or extending upwardly and downwardly, it is merely necessary to lift the leaves 15 and 16 out of the frame 11, the blocks 23 moving with the pin 22. By then turning the leaves around so as to bring the blocks 23 in the two lower corners of the frame 11, the parts will be readjusted to get the desired result. It is to be understood that any suitable arrangement of mats or vignetting pieces can be used in connection with the print paper, they being held in the same manner as are the print papers.

These fingers 28 constitute clips for- By means of the screw 5 the head 3 can be adjusted along the rod 2, thus to bring the frame 11 to any desired distance from the lamp house (not shown).

By providing the flanges 19 and 18 the print paper can be properly set within the holder, said flanges constituting means for engaging edges of the sheets.

Attention is called to the fact that structure herein described is very simple and compact, that it can be quickly adjusted to hold papers with their longest dimensions either extending upwardly and downwardly or extending horizontally, and that papers of different sizes can be securely and smoothly held.

The various parts of the structure can be made of any preferred material. For example, the backing 1 can be made of wood, the leaves 15 can be made of sheet metal and the backing leaf 16 can be made of wood. However, I do not restrict myself to the use of any particular materials in the manufacture of the various parts.

As shown particularly in Fig. 2, a brace 29 made up of hingedly connected members may be secured to the backing 1 and to one side of the frame 11 for limiting the move-- ment of said frame 11 away from the backing 4. When the frame 11 is folded against the backing, this brace 29 will also fold.

It is to be understood that in using the device herein described, a thin metal backing can be placed back of the print paper to keep it from buckling when used with any one of the leaves of the holder.

WVhat is claimed is 1. An easel of the class described including a backing, a holding frame movably connected thereto, and clamping leaves having openings of different sizes and adapted to be clamped between the holding frame and the backing.-

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a backing, of a holding frame movably connected thereto, hingedly connected clamping leaves adapted to hold print sheets of different sizes within the frame, said frame and backing constituting means for housing the leaves.

3. The combination with a backing and a holding frame hingedly connected thereto, of hingedly connected clamping leaves for holding print sheets of different sizes within the frame, said leaves being adjustable bodily to either of two positions within the frame, said frame and backingconstituting a housing for the leaves.

4. The combination with a backing and a holding frame hingedly connected thereto, of hingedly connected clamping leaves for holding print sheets of different sizes within the frame, said leaves being adjustable bodily to either of two positions within the frame, said frame and backing constituting thea housin for the leaves, and means upon each lea for engaging the next adjoining leaf to hold it against relative movement.

5. The combination with an adjustably mounted backing and a holding frame hingedly connected thereto, of clamping leaves having openings of different sizes and adapted to hold print sheets of different sizes exposed within the respective openings, an imperforate clamping leaf, all of said leaves being hingedly connected, and said holding frame and backing constituting means for housing the leaves and pressing them together.

6. The combination with an adjustably mounted backing and a holding frame hingedly connected thereto, of clamping leaves having openings of different sizes and adapted to hold print sheets of different sizes exposed within the respective openings, an imperforate clamping leaf, all of said leaves being hingedly connected, said holding frame and backing constituting means for housing the leaves and pressing them together, and flanges upon the apertured leaves for engaging the print sheets.

7 The combination with an adjustably mounted backing and a holding frame hingedly connected thereto, of clamping leaves having openings of different sizes and adapted to hold print sheets of different sizes exposed within the respective openings, an imperforate clamping leaf, all of said leaves being hingedly connected, and said holding frame and backing constituting means for housing the leaves and pressing them together, said leaves being adjustable bodily to either of two positions within the frame.

, 8. The combination with an adjustable backing and a holding frame hingedly connected thereto, of a series of clamping leaves having apertures of different sizes, a backing leaf, clips carried by the backing leaf and exposed through the apertures, and means upon each of the apertured leaves for engaging the next adjoining leaf to hold it against relative movement, said holding frame and backing constituting a housing for the leaves.

9. The combination with an adjustable backing and a holding frame hingedly connected thereto, of a series of clamping leaves having apertures of difierent sizes, a backing leaf, clips carried by the backing leaf and exposed through the apertures, means upon each of the apertured leaves for engaging the next adjoining leaf to hold it against relative movement, said holding frame and backing constituting a housing for the leaves, and a hinged connection between all of the leaves, said leaves being adjustable bodily to either of two positions Within the frame.

In testimony that we claim theforegoing as our own, we have hereto aflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW VANDENBURG. LEON VANDENBURG. Witnesses:

CHARLES F. HOWE, THERON E. THOMPSON. 

